At Wpg city hall this afternoon, community residents get to give their reaction to Wpg police budget/cuts: Budget cap means WPS loses 34 officers, 25 cadets winnipegfreepress.com/local/fewer-po… #wpgpoli
U of W associate prof Kevin Walby: police budget increases are "irrational", police spending is bankrupting municipal budget & unable to deal with social problems contributing to crime, says police budget should be reduced
Nathan Loewen, from WinnipegPoliceCauseHarm, argues increased policing does not deal w/root causes of crime, argues police budget should be reduced
Loewen: anyone seriously committed to reconciliation cannot support increasing police budget
Police board chair Coun. Kevin Klein: my mother was victim of murder, where should police $$ go? Loewen: put the $$ into areas that deal w/people's basic needs
Loewen: police budget should be reduced or eliminated and put the $$ into areas that benefit public good
Loewen: invest in community good, disinvest in the police
So far, there's no love for Wpg police at police board hearing, where the argument is: $$ spent on police is $$ that can't be spend on social problems causing crime, spending more on police does not make Wpg safer
Esther Wolfe: 2% increase to $300M police budget is "absolutely criminal"
WinnipegPoliceCause Harm reps wearing T-shirts with names of 4 ppl killed by Wpg police in 2019, 3 others killed but names not yet released
James Wilt, another WinnipePoliceCause Harm rep: city hall considering cutting transit service, community services while police hold city hostage by reducing traffic enforcement & closing district stations
Wilt details litany of confirmed criminal offences conducted by Wpg police in recent yrs
Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, from MKO Inc, appeals to Wpg police to restore funding WPS cut from its involvement in joint RCMP task force, Project Devote, devoted to solving cases of murdered & missing Indigenous women & girls
Kline: staffing on Project Devote has not been cancelled, only temporarily re-allocated to deal w/recent increase in criminal activity
Diane Redsky, of MaMawi, says WPS collaboration with local Indigenous groups has saved lives
Redsky: "we can't afford to lose this valuable partner," appeals to police board to maintain funding to WPS collaboration w/Indigenous community groups
FYI Chief Smyth proposing to temporarily re-assign 6 WPS officers now working w/RCMP on Project Devote
Disability advocate Allen Mankewich tells police board city needs more $$ on community mental health resources not policing, cites BC Coroner's report that found 1/2 of police-involved deaths involved individuals w/mental health issues
Bear Clan Inc sect/treas John Drabble: group's partnership w/WPS is its most important, North End residents want police presence
Drabble: North End residents want to feel safe like residents everywhere else in the city, feel safer w/police presence
Police board member Damon Johnston: "it's clear to me that what we're doing now isn't working very well...if we don't change, we'll end up like Mexico"
Klein: city hall charges WPS $10M annually for rent, that's $$ that could be spent on policing
Klein: police board should add a portion of the $14M council voted at Thursday meeting to the WPS budget this year & next 3 yrs winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-cou…
Klein: WPS could save $1M annually by buying gas directly from retailers rather that through city hall, further $500K in admin fees
